How to grow lagenaria in the Russian climate?

Lagenaria is a plant of the pumpkin family, it is a creeping liana, the length of which can reach 15 meters. Cultivation of lagenari is not difficult, but it has its own characteristics.

Description of the plant

The fruits of this plant are pumpkins of unusual shapes. The shape of the fruit depends on the type of lagenaria. It can be in the form of a bottle, a mace, an amphora, a long cylinder, a jug with a narrow neck; in some types, the neck can be twisted or have a curved shape.

Lagenaria serpentine deserves special attention. Its fruit really resembles a snake very much and even behaves like a reptile: when it "meets" an obstacle, it goes around it, forming it becomes curved. Under good growth conditions, its length can reach two meters or more.

The green shoots of the lagenaria stretch up any support located nearby - a rope, a pole, a ladder, a net, and just along the wall. Together with the outlandish fruits, it looks very decorative and can be used in landscape gardening of the site. Flowering and fruiting of lagenaria continues all summer and autumn until the onset of frost.

In the Russian climatic zone, it is possible to grow lagenaria in open ground, but in order to obtain full-fledged fruits, it is necessary to use a seedling method of planting seeds.

Using lagenaria

Lagenaria fruits are used in various fields.

• In cooking. They are eaten like regular squash or pumpkin. It is best to take young green fruit for this, which have reached a diameter of no more than 5 cm and a length of no more than 60 cm.
• For medicinal purposes, they are used in case of liver diseases, with problems with the digestive tract, as a preventive measure for the work of the heart, as well as to prevent sclerosis and obesity.
• In applied arts. A mature plant has a firm skin. This property is used to make dishes from it, for example, decanters for storing wine, milk. They are used to make vases, boxes and other utilitarian items.

Growing features

The agrotechnology of the lagenaria consists in choosing the right place for planting and preparing the soil, receiving and planting seedlings, caring for the plant throughout the growing season.

• Choosing a place for lagenaria

Since this plant came to us from the tropics, then we choose a place for it where there is a lot of sun. It is best to place it on the southern or southwestern slope; and if the terrain is flat, then on a site open to the south.

It is important to provide for the presence of supports nearby so that the vines can curl along them. In the absence of stationary structures, supports should be installed in advance at a distance of about 180 cm.

• Soil preparation

The soil for growing lagenaria should have a normal acidity level and be well fertilized.

Attention!

Lagenaria will not grow on acidic soil with a close location of groundwater.

For planting lagenaria, the soil should be filled with organic and mineral fertilizers in advance (preferably in autumn). After that, dig up the soil, and in the spring, level the bed with a rake.

• Sowing seeds

In most climatic zones of Russia, lagenaria is grown by seedlings. The only exceptions are the southern regions, where there are no return frosts in May.

To obtain seedlings of lagenaria, the seeds must first be soaked in water for a day, and then kept in moist sawdust until sprouts appear. The sawdust temperature should be kept at about 25 ⁰FROM.

After the sprouts appear, and this will happen in about a week, the hatched seeds must be planted in seedling pots. Sowing time is the last decade of April. The seeding depth is 3 cm. It is necessary to grow seedlings in the usual way with constant soil moisture and good lighting.

• Transplanting

You can plant seedlings in open ground about a month after sowing seeds, but always after warming up the soil to 12 ⁰C or higher and excluding the threat of recurrent frost.

Important!

Even the slightest frost can destroy Lagenaria seedlings.

Seedlings are planted in holes, previously well shed with warm water and located at a distance of about 100 cm. A peat pot with seedlings should be placed in a hole at soil level, the plant should be shaded well. At first, you should additionally use a special covering material that transmits light, but protects from the cold at night. Shelter must be removed before flowering.

When the plant reaches a height of about one meter, it should be tied to a support. If the support was not planned to be used, then something must be placed under the plants (boards, stones) to protect the green shoots from slugs and moisture.

Care

For better fruit formation, the plant must be pinched after it reaches about two meters in height.

The soil around the lagenaria bush must be constantly loosened, moistened, and weeds removed. Watering should be done every day using only warm water. It is very important, especially during the period of fruit formation, to provide the plant with a sufficient amount of nutrients. For this, the culture should be fed with organic and mineral fertilizers. This must be done constantly throughout the entire fruiting period.

Harvesting

The first fruits of lagenaria appear three months after sowing the seeds. For culinary use, they are harvested many times throughout the season. The fruit is cut with a sharp knife.

In order to have your seeds of lagenaria for the next season, you need to leave the first fruit that appears to ripen. It is removed only with the onset of the first frost. A well-ripe fruit has a fairly strong crust, and it is very difficult to cut it with a knife. Better to use a hacksaw for this. By sawing the lagenaria fruit to length, you can remove the seeds for planting next year.

Important!

Seed germination of lagenaria lasts for 7 years.

Code of practice for growing lagenaria

So, in order to get a good harvest of the fruits of lagenaria and to please yourself with beautiful lashes of green shoots, you need to follow certain rules for sowing seeds, planting seedlings and caring for plants.

• Lagenaria seeds must be germinated in warm sawdust and then planted in seedling pots.
• Seedlings are planted in open ground only after the threat of recurrent frosts has passed. The planted plant needs to be shaded.
• When the first flowers and ovaries appear, the lagenarius needs to be regularly fed with organic and mineral fertilizers.
• For consumption, the fruit can be picked around July. They should be no more than 5 cm in diameter and no more than 60 cm long. Harvesting is carried out repeatedly during the entire warm period.
• To obtain seeds, you need to leave the first fruit that appears to ripen and remove it only with the onset of frost.